# RADM Noble visits DLA Land and Maritime

/ Published May 1, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio, 
Navy Rear Adm. Joseph D. Noble Jr., the director of Defense Logistics Agency Logistics Operations, visited the DLA Land and Maritime Operations Center April 29, to participate in discussions with DLA Land and Maritime Commander Army Brig. Gen. Gail Atkins and her leadership team.

Atkins opened the session, highlighting her intent to drive a meaningful discussion by bringing together a smaller group of senior leaders to find common ground on pressing logistics and management challenges.  

“I appreciate you taking the time out to have the dialogue we really need,” Atkins said. “It’s a great opportunity to have J3 down here at the [major subordinate command level] where we can lay out for you where we see our sight picture, and get guidance and insights back.”

Organizational changes were discussed and Noble was informed of the status of priority programs under the Land and Maritime supply chains.

Leveraging additive and advanced manufacturing practices remains a high priority for DLA Land and Maritime, said Todd Lewis, director of operations.

“We do think there is an opportunity there to leverage some of our organic capabilities,” he said.

Key to the success of additive and advanced manufacturing lies in the technical and engineering data, Atkins said, noting there is no joint repository for that information to be seamlessly shared.

Noble said he would take that back for action noting that transparency is a focus of DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly’s leadership sight picture.  

“We do have a common system but right now only the Army can see the Army’s stuff, the Navy only the Navy’s stuff and so on,” Noble said. “So, it’s a central repository with little cubicles walled off, and it’s not really serving the intent.”

Other topics discussed were the Class IX strategy, audits, internal controls, provisioning, sustainment, business processes, diminishing manufacturing sources, metrics, readiness and workforce development.

Noble also took some time to visit with DLA Land and Maritime’s cadre of Navy Supply Corps officers to get a pulse on challenges they face while operating in a dynamic joint environment at DLA.

“I would encourage you to do a deployment on a Rapid Deployment Team as more opportunities are now out there to utilize that for exercises like Defender Europe or Pacific Sentry,” Noble said.

“The skills that you build here [at DLA] are immensely marketable and valuable when you move to your next assignment or when you do transition,” he added.

Noble recognized several DLA Land and Maritime employees with DLA Logistics Operations Director coins. He said he was impressed with their ability to make an impact at the Agency and Defense Department levels. 

Coined were Marine Corps Lt. Col. Jacob Hummitzsch, operations officer for Land Customer Operations; Trevor Horn, Integrated Support Team chief in support of the Nuclear Reactor 21N Program; and Benji Burton, branch chief, Business Process Support.

In closing, Noble thanked the DLA Land and Maritime leadership team for the opportunity to have that last touchpoint, prior to retiring next month.

“You all have done and continue to do a phenomenal job getting out there and getting after it every single day as quiet, confident logistics professionals,” he said.